A Hoof Is a Single Enormous Toenail
A hoof is the horny casing on the foot of some mammals. It is made of the same material as hair.
A hoof is the horny casing enclosing the foot of a horse, cow or similar animal. It is keratin, the same protein as hair and fingernails, and a horse effectively stands on the tip of a single greatly enlarged toe — the other digits shrank away over millions of years. A cow stands on two, which is why its hoof is cloven. *On the hoof* means alive or improvised, from livestock walked to market rather than carted.
- A horny foot casing. *A horse's hoof.*
- Cloven hoof. *A cloven hoof.*
- On the hoof — improvised. *Decided on the hoof.*
- Keratin — what it is made of. *Keratin.*
- Old English — *hof*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hoof | A hoof. |
| Plural | hooves | Hooves. |
| Plural | hoofs | Hoofs. |
| Adjective | hoofed | Hoofed. |
| Old English | hof | A hoof. |
- The farrier trimmed the hoof.Care.
- Cattle have cloven hooves.Anatomy.
- Decisions made on the hoof.Idiom.
How horses came to stand on one toe
- Early horse ancestors had several toes on each foot
- As grasslands spread, speed mattered more than soft ground
- The central toe enlarged and the others reduced
- Modern horses run on a single digit per foot
- Splint bones in the leg are the remains of the lost toes
Old English *hof*, of Germanic origin, related to German *Huf*.
What is a hoof made of?
Keratin, the same protein as hair and fingernails. A hoof is effectively one enormous toenail.
What does on the hoof mean?
Alive, of livestock walked to market, and by extension improvised or decided while moving.